Ball-joint.



Patented May14,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSE F. F. SCOVILLEE BAILL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1,3. 1917- 1 ,266,06 1 Patented May 14, 1918. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. -F|s INVENTOR I W s E s s E N W W Z&

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F. F. SCOVILLE.

BALL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.13, 1917. 1,266,061. Patented May 14, 1918.

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BALL-JOINT.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it-known that I, FBANK- F. SoovILLE, of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ball-Joints, of which improvement the following is a s ecification.

My invention relates to joint mechanism for connecting two relatively movable mem-v bers, as, forexample, two adjoining sections 1 of a line of pipe, a connecting rod and a crank pin, etc., and'its object is to rovide an appliance of such type which s all be of simple and inexpensive construction, embody a minimumnumber of parts, and be adaptable to the ready attachment and detachment, as desired, of themembers which it connects. p

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth. v I

Inthe accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front view, in elevation, of a ball joint, illustrating an embodiment of my in-' vention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section, on the line 11 w, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse section," on the line y y, of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a view, in elevation, illustrating the manner I of connecting the ball and socket members p 14; Fig. 14, a longitudinal central sectionof the joint; "Fig. 5, a front view, in elevation, illustrating a structural modification;

Fig. 6, alongitudinal section, on the line 42, z, of Fig. 5; Figs. 8, and 10, longitudinal central sections, and, Fig.. 9, a view in elevation, illustrating further structural modifications; Fig. 11, a longitudinal central section through a pipe joint, embodying my invention ;/Fig. 12, a transverse section through the same, on the line w, w, of Fig. 11; Fig. 13, -24. transverse section through a pipe .joint, illustratinga structural modification, onthe line '0, 'v, of Fig.

- respectively of Fig. 18.

In the practice of 'my invention, referring descriptively to the specific embodiments thereof which' are hereinexeniplified, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

by the formation of the recesses, 2.

Patented May 14, 1 918.

Application filed August 13, 1917. Serial 1W0. 185,844.

first Figs. 1- to 4 inclusive, I provide a ball member, 1, which is turned peripherally to the form of a spherical zone, that is to say,- of a sphere, truncated in planes ;on o

poslte sides of one of its central planes, t e planes of truncation being preferably, as shown, parallel with, and atequal distances from, .a plane passin through its center. The ball member is a apted'to be attached by the ball oint, preferably, as shown,'by bei bored out to receive said part, to whic it'may be secured by screw threads, bolts or keys, or in any other suitable known manner, but may, if preferred be connected .to it by axial trunnions, 1, as shown in Fig 9 to one of the parts which are to be connected The ball member is fitted, with the ca I pacity of relative movement, in an integral socket member or seat, 2, which is bored out in correspondence with the spherical surface of the ball member, and is adapted which are to be connected. The socket member being, as above stated, integral, it will be apparent that means must be provided for the insertion and removal of the ball member, without involving liability to accidental or undesired displacement. To this end, two diametrically opposite longitudinal recesses, 2, are formed in the socket memher, by slotting out its bore to a diameter which is just suflicient to admit the .ball

' member, when turned at a right angle to its p to be secured to the otherof the two parts I normal position, as shown in Fig. 4. The

slots, 2*, ezitend from one end of-the socket member not less than'to its middle plane, as shown in Fig. 2, and when the ball member has been moved-so far into the socket member that its middle planecoincides with *that of the socket member, it may be turned ata right angle, on a central axis in said planes, into its normal operative position, and its accidental displacement therefrom will be positively preventedv by its bearing on the wall of the socket member, through out the portion thereof which is not removed One of the two parts which are to beconnected by the ball joint, is attached to the ball member, after its insertion 'in the socket member, and must of course, be detached, in order to permit the removal of the ball member, when desired.

Various structural modifications may be made in the ball and socket members, without departure from thespirit and operative. principle of my invention. Thus, for example, when the ball member is comparatively thin longitudinally, it may be inserted in, and removed from, the socket member through a single recess, 2*, as shown in Figs. 5 and .6. In order to enable the recesses to be reduced in width, the ball member may be made in two or more sections, as,

for example, a middle section, 1, and two outer sections 1*, l as illustrated in Fig. 7, the sections being separately and successively insertible in, and removable from, the socket member. As shown in Figs. 8 and 10, the ball membermay be fitted in a socket member having twb oppositely inclined seats, 2 instead of the single seat in the form of a spherical zone which is provided in the instances previously-described. In order to prevent movement of the ball member in the socket member, in direction other than in the plane of the axis of its bore, as in certain applications, becomes desirable, it may be maintained in alinement with the central plane of the socket member which is at a right angle to said axis, by pins, 2, fixed, relatively to the. socket member, and fitting in oppositely located sockets in the ball member, as shown in Fig. 10.

The application of my invention in connection with pipe joints of difierent forms, is illustrated in Figs. 11 to'16 inclusive. As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, a .ball joint embodying a ball member, 1, and a socket memher, 2, each of the construction first above described, is applied in connecting a receiver pipe, 3, to the exhaust passage of a high pressure cylinder, 4, of a compound locomotive. The ball member is screwed upon the end of the receiver pipe nearer the cylinder, and is provided with a plurality of internal ribs, 1, for the engagement of a wrench, in screwing it to, and detaching it from, the receiver pipe. The adjacent end of the socket member is secured detachably to the cylinder, by bolts, 4, and a packing. ring, 5, which may be of the Dunbar or any other approved type, is fitted between the ball and socket members, and held in position by a follower Gfsec'ured to the socket member by bolts, 6 It will be obvious that,

if preferred the separate follower may be dispensed with, the packingring beingheld by an annular lip, constituting the mechanical equivalent of the follower.

Figs. 13 to 16 inclusive, illustrate the ap plication of my invention in ball joints for the connection of two adjacent sections, 7, 7, of a pipe line. As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the ball member,.l-, is screwed upon one of the pipe sections, 7 and the socket member, 2, is screwed into a sleeve, 8, secured, by screw threads, on the other pipe section. A packing ring, 5, is fitted between the ball is screwed upon one of the pipe sections, 7,

weasel member and a face on the sleeve, 8, slit rounding the opening therein into which the adjoining pipe section, 7, is screwed.

In Figs. 15 and 16,-the ball member, 1,

and fits in asocket'member, 2, which is integral with the other pipe section, and is formed thereon by expanding it for a sufficient distance adjoining one of its 7 ends. This joint is not provided with packing, and is more particularly adapted for application in pipe lines where the material carried is not under any substantial pressure, as in the case of those used for carrying concrete from a central point of supply and distributing it, by gravity, through pipes from a tower.

My invention is shown in Figs. 17 to 20 inclusive, as applied in joints between a locomotive' coupling or side rod, 9, a knuckle bers, 2, are fixed in the enlarged ends of the coupling rod, and movement of the coupling rod, ina vertical plane, on the crank pin, is prevented by pins, 2, screwed into the coupling rod, and engaging one of the ball members, 1, .in the manner shown in Fig. 10 and before described.

T claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination, in a ball joint, of a ball member having a spherical zone on its periphery,- and .an integral socket member, bored to receive the ball member, and hav- I ing a longitudinal recess at one end of its bore, through which the ball member may be inserted in, and removed from, operative position in the socket member.

2. The combination, in a ball joint, of a ball member, divided, transversely of its axis, into a plurality of adjoining sections, and having a spherical zone on its periphery; and an integral socket member, bored to receive the ball member, and having a longitudinal recess at one end of its bore,

through which the sections of the ball mema bored to receive the ball member, and hav- 1n the position shown in the socket member ing two diametrically opposite longitudinal recesses at one end of its bore, through which the ball member may be inserted in,

. and removed from, operative position in the aeeaeet tien in the socket member; and means for preventing movement of the ball member in a plane at a right angle to its bore.

5. The combination, with two elements which are to be connected with the capacity of relative movement, of a ball jointcomprising a ball member connected, detachably, to one of said elements, and having a spherical zone on its periphery; and an integral socket member connected to the other of said elements, said socket member being bored to receive the ball member, and havinga longitudinal recess at one end of its bore, through which the ball member may be inserted 1n, and removed from, operative position in the socket.

6. The combination, with two tubular elements which are to be connected with the capacity 61 relative movement, of a ball joint comprising a ball member connected, detachably, to one of said elements, and having a spherical zone on its periphery; an integral socket member connected to the other of said elements, said socket member being bored to receive the ball member, and having a longitudinal recess at one end of its bore, through which the ball member may be inserted in, and removed from, operative position in the'socket; and a packing ring interposed between the ball member and the exterior of the joint.

FRANK v F. SCOVILLE. 

